


distraction from you

by when_the_planets_align



Category: RWBY
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Jaune Arc-centric, Light Angst, Multi, Pining, Spoilers for RWBY 8x11, Spoilers: Volume 8 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-07
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 21:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29890821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/when_the_planets_align/pseuds/when_the_planets_align
Summary: After Jaune walks awkwardly out of Weiss’s room, he’s left alone with his thoughts and feelings, if only for a brief moment, as he makes his way to Penny and Klein.
Relationships: Jaune Arc/Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie
Comments: 10
Kudos: 28





	distraction from you

**Author's Note:**

> got the idea from here: https://gravitywhatgravity.tumblr.com/post/644925054307680256/alright-whos-gonna-write-a-fic-about-jaune

Jaune let go of a breath he hadn’t known he was holding as he leaned his back against the wall, Weiss’s door swinging shut beside him. As soon as he saw the look in Nora’s eyes as she stared at Ren, he knew he had to leave. They no longer needed him there. And for some reason, that left a sting in his chest. 

He understood, though. Really, he did! Ren and Nora desperately needed to talk things out, after so long with having a blockage in their path. But he just left  _ so quick,  _ and so soon and… he really wasn’t sure what he was trying to grasp at. He supposed he wanted to say something to Nora herself. To comfort her, to be a part of the conversation at the end. But by the time he would’ve been able to jump in, it was time to go. 

He sighed, pushing himself off the wall and running a hand through his hair. He began walking slowly towards the room where Klein and Penny were, only down the hall from where Weiss’s room is. He still wasn’t sure exactly why he felt so awful about having to leave so quickly. Maybe it was because when he first entered Weiss’s room to see Nora lying there, arms bandaged and looking so, so tired in a way that ran deeper than just 48 hours of no real rest, a wave of relief had flown through him. Seeing her safe and alive and - well, not  _ good,  _ but she was okay, as Ren had said, lifted a weight off his shoulders he didn't even know he was holding. He had wanted to do nothing more than run over to her and hold her, and he did, minus the holding part. 

He’d be lying to himself if he said he hadn’t worried about Nora the entire time he was down in Mantle, out chasing Oscar, or in the belly of a giant whale Grimm. If he said he hadn’t thought of her the entire time, and what she was doing, how she was doing, and if he would ever see her again. He didn’t  _ really  _ believe they were going to die, but the thought of an untimely end had crossed his mind more than a few times during his time out. 

And now he was back, with both his teammates seemingly completely changed. Or maybe they hadn’t changed at all, rather they’d broken some barrier down and were exposing themselves to the world for once. He didn’t know. All he knew is that his chest felt empty and his gut felt punched and he really wanted to be in the presence of both his teammates again. 

You see, the two of them  _ did  _ something to Jaune.  _ Especially  _ together. And being deprived of that, if even for only a day, made Jaune feel almost… empty. It didn’t help that for most of the time spent apart, Ren was extremely distant, so you could’ve just counted him as not even being there for half of it. Jaune wondered for a moment if that was the point. He didn’t dwell on that thought. 

He didn’t know what it was about them. Why they had this charm to him, why they made Jaune think and feel things he’d almost forgotten he was able to feel. 

But they made him feel. Feel alive, special, new, loved. Like he had something in him after all this time, after everything that’s happened. And every time he ever let himself think about something more with them, ever let himself dwell on images of quiet words and soft touches and even softer lips and hands, he was harshly reminded that  _ they were a thing.  _ That they loved  _ each other,  _ not him. That he’d never be with them, because it was impossible and he didn’t share what they had. 

Ren and Nora just had this bond he’d put many labels to throughout his time knowing them, and he was certain none of them were right. Jaune honestly thought he’d never truly understand  _ what  _ that bond was, but he respected it. And knew he’d never have it. It wasn’t like he wanted it  _ all  _ that bad, either, as it was becoming more and more evidently clear there were a lot of unhealthy feelings wrapped up in the tie too, whether it was intentional or not, which he was sure it wasn’t. 

But it was intimate, and strong, and completely unbreakable, and Jaune hated to admit it, but sometimes he felt like the bond he had with Ren and Nora  _ was  _ breakable, like they could decide at any minute to cut him off and leave him if they pleased and he’d be all alone, empty and without warmth. They meant everything to him, but he was doubting in this moment if he meant anything to them. 

And it was stupid, he reasoned. To think that they probably thought of him as disposable, when he knew rationally they didn’t. He’d already told himself, he  _ understood  _ why he needed to leave the room, to give them space because they had a bond he didn’t share, and above all, problems they needed to sort out that he wasn’t involved in. And that was okay, he truly believed that through and through. 

He just… wished he had a different bond with them than he does now. Something  _ more,  _ different. 

As he approached the room where Penny and Klein resided in finally, he shook his head and forced his brain to be quiet. Now wasn’t the time to think about his complicated feelings towards his teammates. They were at  _ war  _ here, and Klein probably could use the extra set of hands helping Penny. 

He hovered his hand over the door handle and sucked in a deep breath. He allowed himself one last glance back at the room that hosted his teammates, the door almost visible at this far away and at this angle. He allowed himself one last thought of them and their rough faces and rough hands, tired and worn from all the events of the past day or so, and how he just wanted to hold them and make the pain and weariness fade magically away, despite him knowing it was impossible. 

Jaune clamped his eyes shut and huffed, opening the door and entering the room where he’d be able to task himself with whatever Klein needed him to do. Just what he needed; a distraction. 

**Author's Note:**

> this came out way angstier than anticipated sorry 😬


End file.
